Track liner



April 29, 1930. B. s. MCCLELLAN ET Al.

TRACK LINER Filed March A4, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l Ap'nuzsa,` 1930. B. s. MCCLELLAN ET AL 1,756,372

TRACK LINER Filed March 4, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 29, 1930 BENJAMIN S. MCGLELLAN, F CHCAGO, ILLNOS, BY KATE B. MCCLELLAN, CON- SERVATOB, OF CHGAGO, ILLINOIS l TRACK LINER Application filed 'March 4,

from being moved away from the rail to lose the purchase or hold thereon during the use` of the device. i Y

A further object of the invention 1s to provide the means referred to in the form of a u. blade which is forced down'into the road-bed as the shifting mechanism is actuated to shift a rail.

A further object of the invention is to pron vide a recess in the under side of the base to receive the blade when all the parts of the device are in their collapsed or starting positions, and thus prevent the blade from projecting below the base to interfere'with sliding the base either under or withdrawing it from a rail.

A still further object of the invention is to provide two sets of'upwardly inclined teeth, one set of teeth being for the advancing fulcrum of the actuating lever, and the other set being for the retaining pawls of the shifting mechanism. e

A further obj ect of the invention is to provide the upper surface of the shifting lever with a corrugated portion so as to prevent the rail engaged thereby from slipping down thelevcr as the latter is actuated to shift the rail. Y

The invention consists further in the matters hereinafter described and claimed.

ln the accompanying drawings- Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a track liner constructed in accordance with the invention; Y

Fig. 2 is a top plan view ofthe same;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view 1927. Serial No. 172,876.

through the liner and showing the parts in their fully extended positions;

Figs. el and 5 are transverse vertical sectional views taken on lines 4-4 and 5 5, respectively, of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 6 is a similar view taken on line 6,-.-6 of Fig. 2.

As `shown in the drawings, the track rliner of the invention has a substantially Hat baseplate 1 with a rail shifting lever 2 above the 5,. base and ext-ending lengthwise thereof. ySaid Vlever has its forward end free and yslida'bly supported by the base on a roller 3 ournaled in upright webs 4,4 integral with the base 1, as shown.

'lherear end of the lever 2 is pivoted ,to the swinging end of a rock arm 5 by a horizont-al axis member 6. Said arm v5 is disposed beneath the lever 2 and the latter is'hollowed out or made channel-shape to accommodate 6r the arm especially when :the parts are collapsed er in their starting positions, as shown in Fig. 1. The lower end of the arm 5 Vis pivoted to the base by `a horizontal axis member? which Lextends between and is liournaled in the upright webs l, 4l to the rear 'of the roller 3.

' A blade r8 is located on theunder side of the lbase 1 and is connected with the lo-wer end of the arm 5 so as to be rocked 4thereby about the axis member 7, The blade 8 -is substantially as wide as the base 1, as shown in Fig. 5, and in the upward movementof thelever 5 in shifting a rail 9, the blade is swung below the base so vas to exert a downward and rearward pressure yon the road-bed beneath the base to hold the latter from being moved outward away from the rail. 'The .extent to which the blade 8 is swung below the base 1 increases as the lever 5 is moved upward. Thus the blade 8 is forced further down into the road-bed to take firmer hold thereon vas the shifting of the rail 9 through the lever 2 increases. The result is that as theleverage exerted by the liner increases the action y are collapsed.

of the blade 8 on the road-bed likewise increases and prevents slipping of the entire device away from the rail throughout the full extent of the shifting movement which A is imparted to the rail.

f yahifting the same, as well as withdrawing the device from the rail after the completion of the shifting movement.

The blade 8 may be made integral with the arm 5 and thus form a continuation of the arm beneath the axis member 7. To providean additional pivotal support for the blade, the. latter is provided with a pair of lugs 11, 11 adjacent its side edges and which lugs extend upward through slots 12, 12 in the base 'L on the opposite sides of the ribs 4, 4, as shown in Fig. 5. rlhe member 7 extends through these lugs and has a tight therein so as to swing the blade in the turning of the axis member by the arm 5. The base plate 1 has additional upright ribs 13, 13 just inside of the lugs 11 so as to provide additional support for the axis member 7, as shown in F ig. 5.

The shift lever 2 is provided between its ends with a number of corrugations 14, 14 on the upper side of the lever to form seats or rests for the edge of the base flange 15 of the rail engaged by the lever 2 when shifting the rail. These seats or rests less-en the likelihood of the rail sliding down the lever 2 as the latter is raised and moved endwise in the shifting of the rail.

The forward end of the shift lever 2 is provided on its under side with an elongated recess 16 extending lengthwise of the lever to receive the roller 3 and provide a continuous bearing for the roller in the endwise movement of the lever 2, as shown in F ig. 3. Th downwardly extending side ribs or flanges vprovided by this recess are on the outer sides of the roller 3 and thus guide the lever 2 in its endwise movements and prevent the outer end of the lever from moving laterally olf the roller.

Y To the rear of the axis member 7 is an actuating lever 17 preferably made in socket form to receive an actuating bar 18, such as a standard track bar. rlShe lever 17 is connected with the axis member 6 by a link 19, which as shown is in the form of a yoke with its arms r2O, 20 straddling the adjacent end of the lever 2 at the axis member 6. At the opposite end of the yoke, the lever 17 is bifurcated to receive such end of the yoke, the latter being pivoted to the lever 17 by an axis member 21, as shown in Figs. 3 and 1.

A pair of webs 22, 22 rise upward from the base plate 1 to the rear of the axis member 7 on opposite sides of the arm 5 and have rack teeth 23, 23 on their upwardly inclined edges, as shown in Fig. 1l. The end of the lever 17 at the bifurcations extends into the space between the webs so as to keep the fulcrum end of the lever central with respect to the teeth 23 and prevent the fulcrum lugs 2e on the outer sides of the lever from being shifted laterally out of said teeth, as when operating the device to shift a rail as well as when the device is carried about in collapsed position, as shown in Fig. 1.

rl`he webs 22 are provided with another set of rack teeth 25, 25 arranged outside of the Ateeth 23. A pair of pawls 26, 26 are pivotally carried by the axis member 6 and have their lower ends co-operating with the teeth 25, there being a pawl for each set of racks, as shown in Fig. 4l. rl`he pawls are connected together at their upper ends by a cross-web 27 so that they may operate in unison.

In use, the device is inserted under the rai 9 while in collapsed position, as shown in Fig. 1, until the lever 2 engages the adjacent edge of the base of the rail 9, as shown in said figure. At this time the pawls 26 are free of the racks 25 and rest against the base plate 1 at the lower ends of the racks. The fulcrum lugs 24 at the forward end of the lever 17 at this time are in the lowermost of the teeth 23.

On swinging the bar 18 upward, the lever 17 fulcrums on the lowermost teeth 23 and rocks the arm 5 forward to raise the rear end of the lever 2 and thereby lift the rail 9 and its attached ties to break contact of the latter with the road-bed to lessen the resistance to the shifting of the rail and its ties in the aligning of the track. The pawls 26 ratchet up the first teeth 25 and hold the lever 2 in its raised position to retain the'rail 9 and its ties raised. With the pawls 26 retaining the load, the lever 17 is freeso that its outer end may be lowered to raise its fulcrum lugs 215'; to engage the next steps 23, the link 19 gravitating inward to swing the fulcruined ends of the lever into said teeth. This allows for another application of power or leverage to the lever 2 to advance it farther forward to carry the rail 9 and its attached ties. The lever 17 and pawls 26 act in a similar manner as the lever 17 is engaged with the next and succeeding teeth to further advance the shifting lever 2. Said pawls retain the load on each release of the lever 17 from its teeth 23 and prevent the track from receding and losing the force or power applied to shift it.

With the blade 8 being swung downward below the base plate 1 during the upward swinging of the arm 5, said blade becomesV further embedded in the road-bed on which the plate 1' rests and, by compressing the aan road-bed as it is swung toward the rear end of the plate, sufficient resistance is offered to prevent the load provided by the rail and ties in lifting and shifting them from moving or sliding the device outward away from the rail to lose the force. applied thereto and allow the rail and ties to settle prior to the end of the full shifting movement.

As shown in Fig. 3, the rear or upright ointed ends of the teeth are advanced slightly ahead of the corresponding parts of the teeth 23, so that the pawls 26 will be lodged in effective engagement with teeth 25 before the end of the application of power on the teeth 23 by the fulcrum ends of the lever 17 and thus prevent any possibility of the pawls not taking hold before the lever 17 is released from its teeth in the advancing of the lever up the same.

There is provided a loop handle 28 at the upper ends of the pawls 26 so that the latter may be manually raised up their racks 25 to adjust the lever 2 upward under the rail for y contact therewith to accommodate for varying distances between the road-bed and the rail when positioning the device for shifting a rail. A pair of upright guides 29, 29 are provided at the rear end of the base plate 1 so as to receive the lever 17 between them when the latter has been swung downward into its collapsed position, and thus prevent the lever from being shifted laterally out of proper alignment with its racks 23.

Vith the liner disclosed, the power or leverage exerted on the track through the shifting lever 2 is multiplied with each successive power operation of the lever 17 ,thereby allowing a single workman to eXert suliicient leverage to effectively shift a rail and its attached ties. The structure herein shown and described is simple in construction and operation. Its details may be variously changed and modified without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

lNhat is claimed is:

1. A track liner having a substantially'flat base, a blade located beneaththe base between the ends thereof, said blade being appr Xima-tely as wide as the base and arranged to extend crosswise thereof, said blade having lugs extending upward through slots in the base, a rock arm on the upper side of the .vase at said blade and having its lower end rigidly connected to said blade, upright ears cn the base at said lugs, an aXis member eX,- tending through said ears and lugs for pivotally connecting the arm and its blade to the base, a track shifting lever connected to the upper end of said arm, and means for actuating said lever.

2. A track liner having a base, a rock arm pivoted thereon for movement above the base, a rail shifting lever arranged above the base and extending lengthwise thereof, said lever having one end pivoted to the swinging end of said armand its other end free and slida- I bly supported by the base in .advance ofsaid arm, means for `raising the end of the lever Y other end free and sli'dably supported by the u base in advance of said arm, means for raising the end of the lever pivoted to said arm for shifting the lever forward on the base and for swinging the arm above the same, and a at blade connected with said arm and swung thereby below the base in the raising of said lever, said base having a recess in its under side to accommodate the blade when the arm and lever are at their lowermost positions.

1. ,A track liner having a base, a rock arm pivoted thereon for movement above the base, a rail shifting lever above the base and eX- tending lengthwise thereof, said lever having one end pivoted to the swinging end of said arm and its other end free and slidably supported by the base in advance of said arm, means for raising the end of the lever pivoted to said arm for shifting the lever forward on the base and for swinging the arm above the same, and a blade connected with 'said arm and swung thereby belowthe base in the raising of said lever, said lever being provided on its upper side with seats or rests to prevent the edge of the rail engaged thereby from` sliding along the lever as the latter shifts the rail. y

5. A track liner havin a base, a rail shifting mechanism above the base and including a rail shifting lever and a rock arm therefor, said rock arm having one end pivoted to the base and its other end directly pivoted to the end of the lever which is raised above the base in shifting a rail by said lever, and means forced into the road bed beneath the base by said arm in the movement thereof above the base with said lever.

6. A track liner having a base, a rail shifting mechanism above the base and including a rail' shifting lever and a rock arm therefor, said rock arm having one end pivoted to the base and its other end directly pivoted to the end of the lever which is raised above the base inshifting a rail by said lever, and a blade beneath the base, Said blade being rigid with and forming a continuation of said arm and forced thereby into the road-bed beneath the base in the movement of the arm above the base with said lever.

7. A track liner having a base, a rock arm pivoted thereon, a rail shifting lever pivoted to lsaid' arm7V a pair of Webs Xed to and extending upward from the base on opposite sides of the arm, each web having upwardly inclined inner and outer racks With the teeth Qf the outer racks Set slightlyahead of the teeth of the inner racks, an actuating lever linked to said rail shifting lever and having fulcruin lugs to engage the racks of the inner se@ and a pair of paWls carried by the rail shifting lever and ratcheting 0n the racks of the outer set.

In testimony whereof, I aix my signature this th day of February, 1927.

KATE B. MCCLELLAN, Consewfztor of Benjamn S. Mclellcm. 

